CLG's BREAKING NEWS and COMMENTARY

US denies missile launch in Saudi Arabia 01 Apr 2010 The US has denied reports that it test-fired a nuclear-capable ballistic missile in a joint secretive military drill with Saudi Arabia. According to a Washington Post report, the head of the US Missile Defense Agency, Lieutenant General Patrick O'Reilly, attended last week's launch of a Trident missile in Saudi Arabia.

US Navy captures suspected pirates after gunbattle 01 Apr 2010 A US warship has seized five suspected pirates after an exchange of fire in the Indian Ocean west of the Seychelles, the US Navy says. Its statement says the USS Nicholas sank a skiff and captured a suspected mother ship in international waters. The incident happened at 1227 local time when suspected pirates opened fire on the warship.

Judge: Bush overstepped wiretapping authority 01 Apr 2010 A federal judge has rejected the Bush administration's justification for warrantless wiretapping of suspected terrorists and ruled that federal agents had eavesdropped illegally on a U.S.-based Islamic charity. The ruling Wednesday by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker of San Francisco focused on the surveillance of a single organization, the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation - the only plaintiff in dozens of wiretapping lawsuits around the nation that had evidence its calls were intercepted.

Satire: Supreme Court: As "People," Corporations Can Run For President --Halliburton said it is narrowing its choices for vice president. By R J Shulman 01 Apr 2010 In a little reviewed passage of the holding by the Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Court stated that corporations have the same Constitutional rights as people... Halliburton announced yesterday that it will run on a platform of strong national defense; selling cheap weapons and exploding teabags to militias; eliminating costly long term health care by terminating the sick; and by letting its core voters know that the only thing black about Halliburton is its black operations. (Satire)

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Federal Judge Finds N.S.A. Wiretapping Program Illegal --The ruling delivered a blow to the Bush regime's claims that its surveillance program, which Mr. Bush secretly authorized shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was lawful. 31 Mar 2010 A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the National Security Agency’s program of surveillance without warrants was illegal, rejecting the Obama administration’s effort to keep shrouded in secrecy one of the most disputed counterterrorism policies of former President [sic] George W. Bush. In a 45-page opinion, Judge Vaughn R. Walker ruled that the government had violated a 1978 federal statute requiring court approval for domestic surveillance when it intercepted phone calls of Al Haramain, a now-defunct Islamic charity in Oregon, and of two lawyers representing it in 2004.

CCR Asks Supreme Court to Rule Government Cannot Keep Secret Whether It Spied on Guantánamo Attorneys --Attorneys for One of Remaining NSA Warrantless Surveillance Lawsuits Argue FOIA Exemptions Cannot Shield Illegal Conduct 31 Mar 2010 Last night, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) asked the Supreme Court to take up its warrantless surveillance case, Wilner v. National Security Agency (NSA). CCR and co-counsel argue that the Executive Branch must disclose whether or not it has records related to the wiretapping of privileged attorney-client conversations without a warrant. Lawyers for the Guantánamo detainees fit the officially acknowledged profile of those subject to surveillance under the former administration’s program, and the Executive Branch has argued in the past that it has a right to target them.

'It is a stateside Guantanamo.' Special U.S. prisons unconstitutional: lawsuit 30 Mar 2010 U.S. prison units specially designed to muzzle communications by inmates considered extremist are unconstitutional and discriminate against Muslims, according to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the Center for Constitutional Rights. The 77-page lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia takes aim at so-called Communications Management Units, which one critic called "a stateside Guantanamo."

CCR Challenges Experimental Prison Units that Restrict Communication and Forbid Physical Contact with Family Without Due Process --Segregated Federal Units Target Muslims, Activists 30 Mar 2010 Today, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a lawsuit challenging violations of fundamental constitutional rights, including the right to due process, at two experimental federal prison units called "Communications Management Units" (CMUs). The units are being used overwhelmingly to hold Muslim prisoners and prisoners with unpopular political beliefs. CCR filed Aref v. Holder in the D.C. District Court on behalf of five current and former prisoners of the units in Terre Haute, IN and Marion, IL; two other plaintiffs are the spouses of prisoners. The CMUs were secretly opened under the Bush administration in 2006 and 2007 respectively and were designed to monitor and control the communications of certain prisoners and to isolate them from other prisoners and the outside world.

Chechen rebel Doku Umarov claims responsibility for Moscow blasts 01 Apr 2010 A Chechen militant leader claimed responsibility last night for sending "Black Widow" suicide bombers into the Moscow Metro as the head of Russia’s Security Council accused Georgia of backing terrorism in his country. Doku Umarov said that he had personally ordered the attacks at Lubyanka and Park Kultury stations that killed 39 people on Monday. In a video posted on a Chechen separatist website, he warned that more were planned.

CIA Aided DOJ Prosecutors in 1995 OKC Bombing Case 30 Mar 2010 Questions about foreign complicity in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in downtown Oklahoma City for which Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were convicted, were disclosed Friday in a ruling by US District court judge Clark Waddoups on a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the CIA for the CIA's refusal to completely declassify records it has acknowledged it possesses that pertain to the case. It is the first indication that the CIA and the Department of Justice (DOJ) worked together in the bombing investigations and prosecutions.

'Defection' of Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri 'a CIA coup' 01 Apr 2010 An Iranian nuclear scientist who disappeared while on pilgrimage to Mecca last year has 'defected' to the United States and is living and working there for the CIA, it was reported yesterday. Dr Amiri, a nuclear scientist at Tehran’s Malek Ashtar University, went missing in June last year three days after arriving in Saudi Arabia for the annual haj. Details of his disappearance emerged months later when Iran accused the US of abducting him and lodged a formal protest against Washington with the United Nations.

Missing Iran N-scientist 'defected to US,' helping CIA 31 Mar 2010 An Iranian nuclear scientist, who has gone missing since June, has defected to the United States, where he is helping spy on Tehran's enrichment work, US media report. On Wednesday, US security officials told ABC News on conditions of anonymity that Shahram Amiri has not only defected to the US, but is also assisting the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in its longstanding plans to sabotage Iran's nuclear program.

ElBaradei: Western policy in Mideast a total failure --Former IAEA chief slams Western support for tyrants 31 Mar 2010 Western policy in the Middle East has been a 'total failure' and risks creating a new generation of Islamic radicals, Mohammed ElBaradei says. "Western policy towards this part of the world has been a total failure, in my view," the former International Atomic Energy Agency chief told The Guardian in his first English-language interview since leaving the UN post. "It has not been based on dialogue, understanding, supporting civil society and empowering people, but rather it's been based on supporting authoritarian systems as long as the oil keeps pumping."

Western total failure #2: Afghanistan Has World Lead in Hashish Production, UN Reports 31 Mar 2010 Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium, also leads in the production of hashish, the resin produced from cannabis grown mainly in the war-torn southern part of the country, the United Nations [Vienna-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime] said. Afghanistan produced as much as 3,500 tons of hashish last year from cannabis grown on up to 59,000 acres, the report said. The income for Afghan hashish producers was estimated to be as high as $94 million. [$94 million - Imagine the CIA's cut!]

9 killed in Iraq car bombings 31 Mar 2010 Eight people were killed and 15 others were wounded when two car bombs exploded in central Karbala, Iraq on Monday, police said. And, a government employee was killed in a blast in Baghdad, according to authorities. The first car bomb exploded outside a restaurant frequently visited by pilgrims in the Baladiyat commercial area in central Karbala, killing six civilians wounding 10 others. Ten minutes later, a second car bomb exploded only 109 yards away from the site of the first blast, killing two and wounding five others, police said.

Minister warns about US activities in Lebanon 31 Mar 2010 Lebanese Minister of State for Administrative Reform, Mohammad Fneish, says the former Bush administration took advantage of divisions in Lebanon through agreements and other activities. Fneish described the US activities in Lebanon as illegal and unconstitutional, Ali Rizk, the Press TV correspondent in Beirut, reported on Wednesday. The Lebanese minister also criticized the conditions set by the US concerning technical assistance to Lebanon's interior security services.

World powers hold fresh talks on Iran 31 Mar 2010 Six key world powers have held fresh talks to discuss their next steps in dealing with Iran over its nuclear program, a US official says. The US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said that senior diplomats from the US, Britain, Russia, France, China, and Germany spoke by conference call for "consultations on next steps" on pressuring Iran into stopping its nuclear drive.

Israeli spy held in Algeria with false passport 31 Mar 2010 Algerian forces have arrested an Israeli spy with a false Spanish passport amid the international outcry over use of forged passports by Mossad agents in terrorist operations. Algerian officials say the agent who used the name of Alberto Vagilo was arrested ten days after he arrived in the North African country.

Belgium moves towards public ban on burka and niqab 31 Mar 2010 Belgium today moved to the forefront of a campaign to restrict the wearing of the Muslim veil by women when a key vote left it on track to become the first European country to ban the burka and niqab in public. The home affairs committee of the Brussels federal parliament voted unanimously to ban the partial or total covering of faces in public places.

Officer cleared of assault on female G20 protester 01 Apr 2010 A police sergeant accused of assaulting a female G20 activist with his baton was acquitted yesterday. Sgt Delroy Smellie appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court after YouTube footage showed him striking protester Nicola Fisher with the back of his hand and then twice with a baton.

The bionic-arm of the law: Police unveil new metal detector glove 31 Mar 2010 Police have unveiled their latest weapon in the fight against knife crime - a metal detecting glove which can identify blades hidden under clothing. The £100 e-Glove fits inside the palm of the hand and silently vibrates when it passes over anything containing the tiniest trace of metal. Officers from Leicestershire Police are the first in the UK to be given access to the gizmo full-time following successful trials at forces elsewhere in the country.

Train crews threaten boycott over personality test 31 Mar 2010 Engineers and conductors for Southern California's commuter rail service are threatening to boycott new personality tests required after a crash in 2008 that killed 25 people. Two railroad unions objected to the agreement between Metrolink and its new contractor, Amtrak, because it would require crews to pass tests to keep their jobs, according to a Los Angeles Times report published Wednesday.

Firms not heeding guidelines on CEO pay 01 Apr 2010 When the Obama administration imposed restrictions on executive pay last year at some of the largest companies the government had bailed out, officials said they were aiming to set a new standard for compensation across corporate America that would discourage risky business practices. But as firms begin to disclose last year's bonuses ahead of annual shareholder meetings, it is becoming clear that companies across a wide range of industries are paying executives in ways that officials worry will not discourage the kind of excessive short-term risk-taking that led to the financial crisis.

Barack Obama opens up vast areas of US coast to oil and gas drilling --President Barack Obama faced a backlash from angry environmentalists after announcing he was opening up huge areas of American waters to oil and gas drilling. 31 Mar 2010 ...Brendan Cummings, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity said that the announcement was "all too typical of what we have seen so far from President Obama - promises of change, a year of 'deliberation,' and ultimately, adoption of flawed and outdated Bush policies as his own". He added: "Rather than bring about the change we need, this plan will further our national addiction to oil and contribute to global warming, while at the same time directly despoiling the habitat of polar bears, endangered whales, and other imperilled wildlife."

Obama to Open Offshore Areas to Oil Drilling for First Time 31 Mar 2010 The Obama administration is proposing to open vast expanses of water along the Atlantic coastline, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the north coast of Alaska to oil and natural gas drilling for the first time, officials said Tuesday. The proposal would end a longstanding moratorium on oil exploration along the East Coast from the northern tip of Delaware to the central coast of Florida, covering 167 million acres of ocean. ...Large tracts in the Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea in the Arctic Ocean north of Alaska -- nearly 130 million acres -- would be eligible for exploration and drilling after extensive studies. [Impeach *NOW.* We did NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS. At least Palin, Bush, Cheney and the other sociopaths were up front about their intentions. See: Obama Is Out-Bushing Bush and the Quote, Unquote Left Will Not Act By Lori Price 30 March 2010.]

ConocoPhillips to expand Alaska offshore drilling 31 Mar 2010 U.S. President Barack Obama's announcement on Wednesday of plans to expand offshore oil and gas drilling allows ConocoPhillips to move ahead on exploring its leases in offshore Alaska. ConocoPhillips, the third-largest U.S. oil company, spent $506 million for drilling leases in Alaska's Chukchi Sea in 2008. Spokesman John Roper said Obama's plan allows the company to proceed after a U.S. appeals court ruling last year ordered an environmental review of Chukchi and neighboring Beaufort Sea areas.

Exhausted polar bear washed up on Isle of Mull By Paul Lewis 01 Apr 2010 Our Mull Officer, Dave Sexton, got the shock of his life while out on a routine wildlife survey yesterday. "We rounded a headland on the west coast of the island and saw a large, white shape lying by some rocks in the distance. As we got closer, I was staggered to see that it was a polar bear. At first I felt sure it was dead, but then I realised it was still breathing... We grabbed a few photos and went off to get help."

A Polar Bear Family Begins Its Journey! --This is the story of a fictional polar bear family -- Aakaga and her cubs Qannik and Siku -- as they make their perilous journey in a melting Arctic world. (Environmental Defense Fund) 31 Mar 2010 This is the day. Icy, windy, freezing - it might not look like spring to a human. But to a polar bear like Aakaga (whose name means "my mother" in Inuit), today, March 31, is the end of a dark, harsh winter... Aakaga is nervous. [And Aakaga should be nervous, because Obusha wants to drill in her home!]

Lovelock: 'We can't save the planet' 30 Mar 2010 Professor James Lovelock, the scientist who developed Gaia theory, has said it is too late to try and save the planet. The man who achieved global fame for his theory that the whole earth is a single organism now believes that we can only hope that the earth will take care of itself in the face of completely unpredictable climate change. Interviewed by Today presenter John Humphrys, he said that while the earth's future was utterly uncertain, mankind was not aware it had "pulled the trigger" on global warming as it built its civilizations.

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Obama Is Out-Bushing Bush and the Quote, Unquote Left Will Not Act By Lori Price, www.legitgov.org 30 March 2010 The Tea Party protests and violent outbursts are serving as a weapon of mass distraction and cover for the unbridled growth of corporate power and lack of (promised) reform under this Administration. No one dares to mention these facts, yet alone acts on them. Obama ensured that the public option was not included, so that the insurance companies could continue to run amok and serve as the *actual* 'death panels' for thousands of Americans. There is no 'change,' except for the fact that Americans will be forced to buy their overpriced, unnecessary, deeply flawed product.

City cops in full military gear toting sidearms, M16 assault rifles patrol NY subways 30 Mar 2010 Stand clear of the submachine guns. In an unusual move, a heavily armed NYPD security battalion with enough firepower to wipe out Downtown Brooklyn descended onto the city's subway trains yesterday 'in response to' suicide bombings in Russia that killed dozens of passengers in Moscow's subway. Bleary-eyed New Yorkers began their work weeks with a morning rush hour that featured city cops in full military gear, including helmets, goggles, body armor, sidearms and M16 assault rifles.

Half of NYC subway cams not working --Bloomberg says MTA needs more funding 30 Mar 2010 About half of the 4,313 security cameras installed along New York City's subways are not working. At the same time, the cash-strapped Metropolitan Transportation Authority has also been forced to cut officers who patrol major bridges and tunnels. Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday said the MTA needs more funding -- but a plan that would've eliminated most of the agency's problems was turned down by Albany lawmakers. [Stop giving the billion$ NY gets via Homeland 'Security' grants to your corporaterrorist cronies, Bloomberg, and fix them! --LRP]

Investigators warn of further attacks as Moscow metro death toll rises --Security officials say two women who blew themselves up, killing 39 people, could have been part of squad of bombers 30 Mar 2010 Russian investigators warned of further possible attacks following Monday's deadly bombings on the Moscow metro and said a squad of up to 20 trained suicide bombers was still at large. The federal security service (FSB) said the two women who blew themselves up during the morning rush hour may have been members of a larger, 30-strong group of suicide bombers recruited and trained by Chechen rebel leader, Said Buryatsky.

Russian police release subway bomb suspects' photos 30 Mar 2010 Russian police released photographs Tuesday of two women suspected of being the suicide bombers who killed at least 39 people on the Moscow metro a day earlier. Special services are also seeking three suspected accomplices of the bombers, Russian state TV reported, citing Moscow police spokesman Viktor Biryukov.

Militia Probe Included Undercover FBI Agent 30 Mar 2010 In an indictment Monday, federal authorities named David Brian Stone Sr. as leader of the militia group, Hutaree. and accused him and eight members with plotting to spark an uprising against the U.S. government by killing police. Along with Mr. Stone, seven other men and one woman from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana are in being held without bond on weapons and sedition charges. The indictment said Hutaree had practiced attacks and other military maneuvers for more than a year, and had planned to kill a law-enforcement officer, then use homemade bombs to attack officers who attended the funeral. An undercover agent played a role in the investigation that led to Monday's indictments. Grand jury testimony by a law enforcement officer referred to an "undercover FBI agent" who worked on the case.

At least 9 people shot in D.C. 30 Mar 2010 Nine people were wounded along a city block in southern Washington, D.C., Tuesday night after shooters opened fire on a crowd, police said. Metro Police Chief Cathy Lanier said the shooting prompted a lengthy police chase that ended in the arrest of three people. Four officers were treated for minor injuries from an accident during the chase... A tenth person was shot on nearby Galveston Street, but it wasn't clear whether the two shootings were related. Lanier decline to give more details, saying it was too early in the investigation.

Obama hopes for new Iran sanctions 'this spring' --Obama tells reporters he would like to see new UN sanctions imposed on Iran 'in weeks' 31 Mar 2010 France is standing with the United States in condemning Israeli construction in east Jerusalem. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said his own commitment to Israel's security is well known, but added that the "settlement" activity in an area claimed by the Palestinians "contributes nothing." Speaking at a news conference with President Barack Obama after their White House meeting Tuesday, Sarkozy said the "absence of peace" in the region "is a problem for all of us" - and that it feeds terrorism around the world. Obama, for his part, told reporters he would like to see new UN sanctions placed on Iran in a matter of weeks.

Israel lobby presses Congress to soften Obama's tough stance on Netanyahu --American Israel Public Affairs Committee circulates letter urging White House to 'reinforce' relationship with Israel 30 Mar 2010 America's main pro-Israel lobby group is mobilising members of Congress to pressure the White House over its bitter public confrontation with Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister. The move, by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), appears aimed at exploiting differences in the Obama administration as it decides how to use the crisis around settlement building in Jerusalem to press Israel toward concessions to kickstart peace negotiations. Aipac has persuaded more than three-quarters of the members of the US House of Representatives to sign a letter calling for an end to public criticism of Israel and urging the US to "reinforce" its relationship with the Jewish state.

IAEA chief opposes new Iran sanctions 30 Mar 2010 UN nuclear watchdog chief Yukiya Amano says new sanctions against Iran would force agency inspectors have a more difficult job in resolving the impasse. "As Iran quite often declares, they don't want to act under pressure," Amano told DPA... The White House currently is pushing for further punitive measures against Iran, which is under three rounds of UN Security Council sanctions resolutions.

Canadians firm on leaving Afghanistan next year 30 Mar 2010 Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Tuesday rebuffed an American suggestion that he keep some of his country's troops in Afghanistan following a scheduled pullout next year, reasserting that only 'civilians' would continue in the mission. Harper reiterated his stand during a 20-minute meeting in Ottowa with visiting Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Nato to launch surge against Taliban in Kandahar 30 Mar 1010 The long-awaited Nato-led offensive to regain government control of Kandahar will begin in June a military official has said. Operation Omaid, or hope, is the cornerstone of Gen Stanley McChrystal's troop surge strategy to reverse the eight-year-old Taliban insurgency's momentum. Thousands of American and Afghan troops are being sent to the city and surrounding province, which is home to the Taliban movement. [Why not call it 'Operation Opium Flow?']

Afghan school girl killed by NATO tank 30 Mar 2010 Reports say an Afghan school girl has been run over and killed by a tank belonging to NATO forces in eastern Afghanistan. Eyewitnesses told Press TV that the child was on her way to school along with her classmates in Sorkhabad town in the province of Logar, south of Kabul when the incident happened.

Panel in Iraq Moves to Disqualify 52 Candidates 29 Mar 1010 A government commission sought Monday to disqualify six people who had won seats in Iraq’s parliamentary election and 46 other candidates because of what it called their ties to the banned Baath Party. The disqualification effort, by Iraq’s Accountability and Justice Commission, could prove critical to the election’s outcome because the political alliance headed by Ayad Allawi, the country’s former interim prime minister [US oil puppet], 'won' only two seats more than Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s coalition in the March 7 contest.

France advised against full ban on burqa 30 Mar 2010 France's top administrative body has warned the government that plans for a complete ban on the full Islamic veil could be challenged in court. The State Council presented its report to the government on Tuesday, noting that security reasons would only allow the government to go so far as to ask for faces to be uncovered in public venues.

WHO's swine flu response examined 29 Mar 2010 Experts will investigate the World Health Organisation's response to the swine flu outbreak and probably examine whether it could have been clearer when it declared a pandemic of what turned out to be a relatively mild disease. The independent review will be conducted by around 30 scientists and health chiefs and their initial findings will be presented to member states in May, said Keiji Fukuda, WHO's top flu official... Several governments urged WHO last year not to declare swine flu a pandemic, saying it could cause unnecessary alarm if the virus turned out to be harmless.

Drug firm investigated FDA officials 30 Mar 2010 For more than two months in late 2008, private investigators working for a drug company gathered information on a high-ranking official at the Food and Drug Administration - unearthing details about her husband, two daughters, and in-laws, and re-tracing her steps on a business trip she took to Thailand. The drug company, Amphastar Pharmaceuticals Inc., paid more than $100,000 to Kroll, the New York-based private investigative firm, to uncover the information about Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, who overees the agency’s new-drug approvals.

Governor Activates 150 National Guard Troops 30 Mar 2010 The governor is sending 150 Connecticut National Guard troops to help eastern Connecticut with flood control as heavy rain continues to cause streams and rivers to overflow. Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R-Dirtbag) has directed the state Department of Public Safety to reassign all available troopers in the field and from headquarters to eastern Connecticut to help with road closures and other emergencies.

Environmental Protection Agency will list Bisphenol 'chemical of concern' 30 Mar 2010 The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday that it is formally listing Bisphenol A -- a [deadly] chemical found widely in consumer goods -- as a "chemical of concern." The chemical is added to plastics to harden them. It is so widespread that 90 percent of Americans show traces of it in their urine. But, in recent years, studies have linked BPA to heart disease and cancer in humans, and to abnormal development in animals.

CITES to World: Get Your Polar Bear Rugs While You Can By Zak Smith 22 Mar 2010 As you may have already heard, last week the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species ("CITES" or "the Convention") rejected a US proposal to ban the international trade of polar bear parts. I was at the conference in Doha, Qatar, fighting for greater protections for polar bears and witnessed firsthand the discussion and vote that rejected the US proposal. (For background on the Convention and what was at stake for polar bears, read my previous blogs here, here, and here.)

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CIA 'suggests' Europe should understand suffering of women under Taliban --European Nato governments should emphasise the suffering of women under Taliban rule to counter domestic calls for troop withdrawal a leaked CIA analysis suggests. 29 Mar 2010 A steep increase in French and German casualties this summer could trigger public anger at their involvement and calls for a military pull out the document warns. Paris and Berlin should start a targeted propaganda campaign to "forestall or at least contain" a backlash by stating the benefits of military action... The analysis, marked "confidential" and not for release to foreign nationals, comes amid American concern that heavy fighting this summer could prompt a "precipitous" departure of Nato allies. A spokesman for the CIA declined to comment on the document, dated March 11.

US Bagram Airbase hit during Obama visit --Afghan officials: Three rockets targeted airfield 29 Mar 2010 The US Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan has been hit by rockets during an official visit by President Barack Obama to the war-torn country. Afghan officials told Press TV on Monday that three rockets targeted the airfield. No damages or casualties have been reported; however, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, who claimed responsibility for the attack, said there were serious casualties inside the base.

Taliban claims shooting down NATO chopper in S Afghanistan 29 Mar 2010 Taliban militants fighting Afghan and NATO-led troops have claimed responsibility for shooting down a NATO helicopter that crashed in Afghanistan's southern Zabul province on Monday morning. Qari Yusuf Ahmadi, who claims to speak for Taliban outfit, in talks with media via telephone from undisclosed said that militants shot down a helicopter of NATO forces in Adghar district of Zabul province Monday morning.

Iraq panel to bar 6 lawmakers from taking office --If upheld, the move against the alleged Baathists would cost the 'winning' Iraqiya bloc its majority in parliament. 30 Mar 2010 An Iraqi government commission said Monday that it would bar six newly elected parliament members from office, accusing them of having been members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party. The move, if upheld by a panel of judges, would take away at least two seats from the Iraqiya list, currently the largest bloc [of US puppets] in the upcoming parliament, and risk tainting the election results in the eyes of the many minority Sunni Arabs who voted for the slate.

Report: Israel copied thousands of passports 29 Mar 2010 Britain believes thousands of its passports have been copied by airline staff working for the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, a UK tabloid reported Sunday. News of the World reported that the British MI6 intelligence service believe Britons flying to Israel have been targeted for months and their documents cloned.

Algerian authorities arrest Mossad agent holding forged passport 29 Mar 2010 Algerian newspaper revealed on Sunday that the authorities in Algeria arrested a secret agent working for the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence apparatus, and holding a forged Spanish passport. According to Al-Nahar newspaper, the Algerian security apparatuses arrested an Israeli spy called Alberto, 35, in the city of Hassi Messaoud near an Egyptian office providing service for oil companies.

Molotovs hurled at Israeli force near Al-Arrub camp 29 Mar 2010 Two Molotov cocktails were hurled at an Israeli military force near the Al-Arrub refugee camp between Bethlehem and Hebron in the southern West Bank at midnight Sunday, the army said. The military said there were no injuries, and that Israeli forces began "scanning the area searching for the attackers."

Rachel Corrie's family takes case to court in Israel --Corrie was killed by an Israeli bulldozer while trying to protect Palestinian homes. 30 Mar 2010 The American parents sit stoically in a sky-lit courtroom, listening to testimony about how an Israeli military bulldozer crushed their daughter to death seven years ago. They hear about the dangerous game of chicken played for several hours that winter afternoon in 2003, between bulldozers and international activists trying to protect Palestinian homes, before Rachel Corrie disappeared under a creeping mound of dirt. Now her parents, calling an Israeli investigation that found no fault a "whitewash" and suspecting that the bulldozer driver deliberately ran over their daughter, are pursuing a civil lawsuit against the government.

Washington ratchets up war threats against Iran By Patrick Martin 29 Mar 2010 The Obama administration is ratcheting up its war threats against Iran in a calculated effort to provoke a crisis with Tehran that could produce a general war in the Middle East. In multiple venues--planted articles in the press, the release of a think tank study on military options, speeches at the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, and congressional declarations--Washington is building a case for a new eruption of US military aggression. The appearance of two articles in the Sunday edition of the New York Times underscored this campaign.

'Blasts could engender new US-Russia anti-terror dialogue' 29 Mar 2010 After the terrorist attacks in Moscow, there is hope for a new, more comprehensive anti-terror dialogue between Moscow and Washington, believes German political and business consultant Christoph Hörstel. The specialist joined RT to speak on the possible changes in Russia’s and global politics the Monday attacks in Moscow could bring.

US transit security increased over Moscow blast --NY: Special units distinguished by their special black uniforms, helmets and body armor in subway stations 29 Mar 2010 U.S. transit agencies are beefing up security as a precaution following the suicide bombing in Moscow's subway system. In New York City, caravans of police vehicles have been dispatched to transit hubs. Special units distinguished by their special black uniforms, helmets and body armor also are in subway stations. In Washington, D.C., Metro police are conducting random inspections of stations and rail yards. Atlanta's public transit system, MARTA, says its police department has increased the number of officers and patrols throughout the system.

Metro heightens security 29 Mar 2010 (Washington, D.C.) After two suicide attacks on Moscow's subway, Metro tightened security on the rails Monday. "There will be more uniformed officers out on the stations, out on the platforms," Metro Transit Police Capt. Kevin Gaddis tells WTOP. "You'll probably see more K-9 dogs out in the system." Officers who normally work in casual clothes will be in uniform.

Moscow bombings: Putin vows to destroy group behind attacks 29 Mar 2010 Russians were facing the prospect of a deadly new Chechen terror campaign tonight after two female suicide bombers blew themselves up on Moscow's packed metro during the morning rush hour, killing at least 38 people... The targets appeared to be have been carefully chosen to represent a symbolic attack on Russia's government. The first bomb went off opposite the headquarters of Russia's FSB anti-terrorism intelligence agency. Sources suggest the second bomb may have been intended for Oktyabrskaya station, next to Russia's interior ministry. There was no immediate claim of responsibility tonight. But the head of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov, said those responsible had links to the North Caucasus, the heavily Muslim region plagued by insurgency and where federal forces and their local proxies have been waging brutal counter-terrorist operations against suspected insurgents.

Suicide bomber hit station next to Russia's top security agency 30 Mar 2010 The twin suicide bombings that killed at least 38 people in Moscow's crowded subway system on Monday included an attack on a station just steps away from the headquarters of Russia's premier security service. The strike shortly before 8 a.m. at the Lubyanka station -- named for the forbidding building that houses Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the KGB -- is part of a wave of suicide assaults that target spy services engaged in violent confrontations with militant Islamist groups. [Gee, I was wondering how long it would take to mention 'militant Islamist groups.']

FBI make Christian militia arrests --The FBI has carried out a series of raids on Christian militia across America after they feared the groups were about to launch a bombing campaign in anticipation of Armageddon. 29 Mar 2010 Nine members of a Christian militia group in the American Midwest were charged on Monday with plotting to kill a police officer and then blow up mourners at his funeral. Members of the Hutaree, self-proclaimed "Christian warriors" who conduct paramilitary training in readiness for the arrival of the anti-Christ, were seized after a series of FBI raids in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. The nine face charges that include attempted use of weapons of mass destruction, seditious conspiracy and teaching the use of explosives.

9 In Christian Militia Charged in Plot to Murder Officers 29 Mar 2010 Nine members of a Michigan-based Christian militia group have been indicted on sedition and weapons charges in connection with an alleged plot to murder law enforcement officers in hopes of setting off an anti-government uprising. In court filings unsealed Monday, the Justice Department accused the nine people of planning to kill an unidentified law enforcement officer, then plant improvised explosive devices of a type used by insurgents Blackwater in Iraq to attack the funeral procession.

Tenn. man pleads guilty in plot against Obama 29 Mar 2010 A Tennessee man has pleaded guilty to plotting to kill then-presidential candidate Barack Obama and dozens of other black people in 2008. Daniel Cowart, 21, of Bells, Tennessee, pleaded guilty Monday to eight counts of a 10-count indictment accusing him of conspiracy, threatening a presidential candidate and various federal firearms charges. Under a plea agreement, he faces 12 to 18 years in prison but U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen could give him more.

Declare 'Confederate Southern American' on Census forms, group says 26 Mar 2010 The Southern Legal Resource Center is calling on self-proclaimed "Confederates" to declare their heritage when they are counted in the 2010 Census. The organization is urging Southerners to declare their "heritage and culture" by classifying themselves as "Confederate Southern Americans" on the line on the form, question No. 9, that asks for race. Check "other" and write "Confed Southern Am" on the line beside it, the group says on its Facebook page and on two YouTube videos.

8 House Members to Mull 2nd Draft Bill on Science-Tech Probe of WTC Destruction Causes By Barbara Ellis, Ph.D. 25 Mar 2010 A second draft bill setting up an independent science and technology investigation into the World Trade Center destruction was presented March 16-17 in Washington D.C. to science/technology aides of eight House members for action this year. The bill continues to propose a 25-member committee with subpoena power, chosen from the national and international community of renown scientists of Nobel laureates, as well as structural engineers, architects, and other technological specialists--those in demolition, advanced weaponry, and 9/11 first-responders.

New worries about H1N1 influenza --Continuing activity in the Southeast raises fears of a third wave of swine flu cases. 30 Mar 2010 Continuing activity of pandemic H1N1 influenza in the Southeast, particularly in Georgia, is raising fears of a third wave of swine flu cases, federal officials said Monday. They urged people to continue getting vaccinated as a preventive measure in case a new outbreak occurred. [Of course! The govt is dying to dump the pharmaterrorists' mercury-laden vaccines on US citizens who know their vaccines are useless *and* deadly.]

RNC spent almost $2,000 at bondage-themed strip club 29 Mar 2010 Under fire from both right and left, the Republican National Committee is investigating how and why it spent nearly $2,000 for "meals" at a bondage-themed strip club in West Hollywood featuring topless dancers simulating lesbian sex. The party confirmed Monday that it reimbursed a California consultant for $1,946 spent at Voyeur, a high-end bar/lounge that's described on one Web site as "classic slutty" where "you might not be completely shocked at the almost naked women writhing on each other, but you will undoubtedly be in awe."

Obama Puts Pesticide Pusher in Charge of Agricultural Trade Relations 28 Mar 2010 Sidestepping a stalled Senate confirmation vote, yesterday President Obama recess-appointed Islam Siddiqui to be chief agricultural negotiator in the office of the U.S. trade representative. Dr. Siddiqui’s nomination was held up in the Senate and was opposed by the Center for Biological Diversity and more than 80 other environmental, small-farm, and consumer groups. More than 90,000 concerned citizens contacted the White House and Senate to oppose the nomination. Siddiqui is a former pesticide lobbyist and is currently vice president of science and regulatory affairs at CropLife America, a biotech and pesticide trade group that lobbies to weaken environmental laws.

Obama cuts to home energy assistance to have devastating consequences By Hiram Lee 27 Mar 2010 The Obama administration’s plan to introduce a major cut in funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will have a devastating impact on the lives of working families throughout the United States. Obama has slashed funding for LIHEAP down to $3.3 billion in his proposed budget for the fiscal year 2011. This represents a 35 percent reduction in funds allocated to the program, which had been budgeted for $5.1 billion in the previous year. The cut comes at a time when demand for assistance is at a record high due to soaring levels of unemployment in the US.

CITGO Reaffirms Commitment to the Environment by Participating in Earth Hour in Boston 26 Mar 2010 CITGO Petroleum Corporation will be joining this Saturday, March 27, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., more than 70 local businesses, government agencies, universities, colleges, hotels, and museums, as well as hundreds of residents and small businesses, that will turn off all non-essential lights to participate in Earth Hour here. By joining Earth Hour for the second consecutive year, CITGO reaffirms its commitment to environmental protection as one of the company’s core values, in alignment with principles in support of an efficient use of our energy resources, which are endorsed by our parent company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA).

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